Supersub Harris sends Beavers into FA Cup dreamland

It wasn't until five minutes from the end that Hampton secured a place in the first round of the FA Cup for only the second time in their history.

And it took a couple of late substitutions to break down Wealdstone's stubborn resistance.

The Ryman League Premier side had battled long and hard but a goal late in the game eased the passage of the Beavers into a match-up with League Two side, Dagenham & Redbridge, and even better, a home draw to boot.

Hampton's manager Alan Devonshire won the FA Cup with West Ham United but until now, in his managerial career, had never guided a non league side to the first round proper of the competition.

With 13 minutes to go Hampton brought on a forward for a defender, Shaun McAuley replacing Graham Harper, but the key change was when Glen Harris came on in the 81st minute with just nine minutes left to avoid a tricky Tuesday night replay at Chestnut Avenue.

In those hectic last few minutes, Harris set up a shot for Dean Wells that was kicked off the line for a corner, his next pass found Elliott Frost who laid the ball in for a McAuley blast, high and wide.

Four minutes after coming on Harris won the ball in midfield, he swept the ball out wide to McAuley on the right side, McAuley shimmied inside and sent in a cross, and who was there to meet it with a powerful header? Harris, who hadn't stopped running from the time the ball left his feet.

The Wealdstone keeper Sean Thomas had no chance as the ball flashed past his despairing efforts to stop it.

In those last pulsating five minutes, Wealdstone had two chances to level the tie, the best going to Lee O'Leary who somehow conspired to completely miss his shot.

The final whistle saw players and supporters hailing Hampton's victory.

Harris was given the bumps by his delighted team mates while Alan Mr Devonshire took the plaudits of the supporters.

Wealdstone had come prepared for a battle, and their team didn't let their manager or supporters down.

The Ryman side managed what few teams have done of late and that was to keep Hampton's forwards quiet.

In fact they probably felt that they should have gone in ahead at half-time.

Having blunted Hampton's strike force it fell to ex-Beaver Ryan Ashe to have the best effort of the first half, a turn and shot that keeper Matt Lovett tipped onto the cross bar.

Orlando Jeffrey was kept busy at the back with Wealdstone's main attacking ply, long throws hurled in from all angles by Lee Chappell.

The Beavers best chance fell to Ian Hodges but Thomas leapt to his left to take the ball in the air.

Thomas was having one of those games where the ball, when struck at his goal, seemed to be magnetically attracted to him.

On several occasions a few inches either way and maybe, just maybe efforts from Elliott Godfrey, Hodges and Lawrence Yaku would have found the target and the score line would have been more emphatically in Hampton's favour.

Just before half time Lovett was clattered in the air, no action was taken against the Wealdstone player, but at least the Hampton keeper wasn't injured.

The second half gradually saw Hampton impose themselves, Wealdstone manager was faced in having to replace players whose legs were tiring under what was becoming relentless Hampton pressure.

But still the ball would not elude Thomas.

Yaku was case in point, on several occasions he managed to wriggle free from his claustophobic markers, but his final shot wasn't quite on the mark and Thomas was having a field day.

In the 61st minute Thomas was exceptionally lucky to stay on the pitch.

Yaku had burst through, Thomas came out of his area and took down the Hampton striker.

If not for the fact that Marcus Gross was covering his keeper, then the card would have been red, not yellow.

Stuart Lake drove forward strongly from midfield, Ryan Lake up in support had a fine effort blocked.

A few minutes later Harper intercepted the ball and set up on one of his dazzling runs down the right, the cross being clumped away.

Then the towering, and tiring, Gross was replaced and all of a sudden Wealdstone lost their aerial dominance at the back.

Harper set off on another run, Godfrey forced a corner, Thomas was forced to punch clear Ryan Lake's cross as Hodges bore in.

Just after Alan Inns headed wide, Yaku burst through again and for once beat Thomas only to see the ball hit the upright.

Wealdstone were hardly given time to breathe and then came the vital substitutions that changed the game.

Hampton: Matt Lovett; Graham Harper (Shaun McAuley, 77), Ryan Lake, Orlando Jeffrey, Stuart Lake, Dean Wells, Alan Inns, Elliott Godfrey (Glen Harris, 81), Ian Hodges, Lawrence Yaku (Elliott Frost, 82), Barrie Matthews.

Subs not used ; Rob Paris & Marcello Fernandes.

One disappointed player is Stuart Lake, who collected his fifth booking during the game and will be suspended for one game, the game in question being the FA Cup match home to Dagenham & Redbridge.

Hampton's safety officer, David Rees, has already started talking to the various authorities in preparation for staging the game at Beveree. Dagenham & Redbridge are the current champions of the Conference and lie 19th in League Two.

Their crowds are around the 2,000 mark so the likelihood of more than 800 or so fans making the trek across London is unlikely so Hampton are working on an attendance of between 1,500 and 1,800.

Last season, the Ryman game against AFC Wimbledon attracted a crowd of just over 1,800 while, the season before, the same fixture, was watched by 2,500 so the Beavers, with a 3,300 capacity, even if reduced on police advice, feel perfectly capable of dealing with this latest big match.

Saturday, November 3 (3pm): Havant & Waterlooville v Hampton & Richmond Borough, Blue Square South, Westleigh Park, Martin Road, Havant, HantsA match-up between two sides who a week later will both be stepping out in the First Round of the FA Cup, Havant at York City, while Hampton will be hosting a visit from Dagenham & Redbridge. The last time Hampton met Havant & Waterlooville was a FA Cup tie back in 1998 when the Beavers lost 5-1.

On this occasion Hampton and Havant meet on more or less equal terms, Hampton are sixth and Havant 11th in Blue Square South.

Sunday, November 4 (11am): Hampton & Richmond Girls U18s v Chichester Town, Surrey County League, Beveree StadiumWednesday, November 7 (7.45pm): Hampton & Richmond Borough Youth v Camberley Town, Allied Counties League, Beveree StadiumSaturday, November 10 (3pm): Hampton & Richmond Borough v Dagenham & Redbridge, EOn FA Cup first round, Beveree Stadium.